Scott Powers
Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala has gotten her first significant backing from within her own party, with a resolution supporting her and her actions from the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida.
The group announced Tuesday it has passed a resolution expressing “its support for Aramis Ayala’s right to exercise her prosecutorial discretion when deciding whether or not to pursue the death penalty in any case, and calls upon Governor Rick Scott to immediately rescind his Executive Order removing Aramis Ayala from the Markeith Lloyd case.”
The resolution, which was adopted over the weekend but not disclosed until Tuesday, declares that Scott’s executive order last week stripping the Loyd murder case from Ayala and reassigning it to 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brad King was a “cynical and politically-motivated action, which infringes on the independence of prosecutors, exceeds his authority, sets a dangerous precedent; and undermines the right of the residents of Orange and Osceola counties to elect their own prosecutor.”
Ayala, state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit, which includes Orange and Osceola counties, announced last Thursday she would not pursue death penalty charges against anyone in the circuit, preferring to seek life imprisonment without parole, and arguing that death penalty cases’ tendencies to drag on for decades were unjust for all, including families of victims. Scott swiftly responded by reassigning the case of Loyd, charged with murdering his pregnant former girlfriend Sade Dixon and Orlando Police Master Sergeant Debra Clayton.
Ayala, a Democrat, has drawn strong, often angry responses from other politicians besides Scott, including several Central Florida lawmakers. On Monday Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes called for Scott to suspend her from office, and from Democratic state Sen. Victor Torres, a retired police detective, who supported Scott’s reassignment of the Loyd case. Few other Democrats have spoken up until now.
“State’s Attorney Ayala was duly elected by the citizens of the Ninth Judicial Circuit. She must be allowed to use her discretion in cases without interference from the governor. Rick Scott is overstepping his authority.” Democratic Progressive Caucus President Susan Smith stated in a news release announcing the group’s resolution.
